Recent Rain Helped Drought, But Water Levels Remain Low

Rainfall in late-December helped Asheville narrowly avoid its driest year on record and increased water supplies in Raleigh and Durham by several weeks.

But water supplies remain critically low in parts of the state. A reservoir that supplies Durham has risen more than three feet since heavy rainfall Sunday, but it's still about 18 feet below capacity.

Falls Lake just north of Raleigh rose more than a foot, which added two weeks to the city's dwindling water supply but is still about 8 feet below capacity.

Asheville ended the year with 23.55 inches of rain, which is less than an inch more than the record 22.79 inches of rainfall recorded in 1925. All of North Carolina is still suffering from drought, and about three quarters of the state is in exceptional drought conditions, which is the most intense category.

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